Mystery in 17th century Japan

Women are being brutally kidnapped and attacked. Normally, this would be of little interest in 17th century Japan, but Sano Ichiro is not the typical samurai of his time. So when his long-lost cousin is one of the victims, and his estranged uncle asks for his help, he starts to investigate. Meanwhile, he is suspicious of his rival, Yanagisawa, who is being very pleasant and helpful! Surely he is up to something. As always, I enjoy this look at a far away time and place, even when it involves the fact that women in ancient Japan had very few rights. The Cloud Pavilion is the 14th novel in this series, and I'm still enjoying them. You might too.